Breaking the Cycle of Self-Neglect: A Guide for Strong Women (2 of 3)

Conditioned to Be “The Good Girl”

From an early age, many women are taught that their value is directly tied to being agreeable, kind, and selfless. We can absorb this lesson that saying yes will equal love and that saying no will equal risking rejection. Over time, this conditioning shapes how we develop our identity, centering around service, even if it means we ignore our own needs.

Love Must Be Earned and Not Given

Some women have the idea that love and affection must be “won” and are not freely given. This is rooted in the way many women were raised to be givers, primed to become mothers, wives, and daughters — “helpers” for everyone, but with no loyalty to their own selves. This is a dangerous notion: our worth becomes tied to usefulness rather than inherent value.